Rep. Cartwright to host extreme weather event with R Street, American Sustainable Business Council
WASHINGTON (July 8, 2014) – On Wednesday, July 9, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, in conjunction with the R Street Institute and the American Sustainable Business Council will host “Saving Taxpayer Dollars: Planning and Preparing for Extreme Weather Events.”
Cartwright will moderate the event that starts at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, July 9, in room 121 Cannon House Office Building.
Panelists will include:
- Eli Lehrer, President of the R Street Institute
- Richard Eidlin, American Sustainable Business Council
- Shannon Sly, Senior Counsel, Marstel-Day, formerly Naval Sea Systems Command
- Sam Ricketts, Governor’s Office, State of Washington
In the past two years, extreme weather events resulted in 109 presidential major disaster declarations, 20 events that each inflicted at least $1 billion in damage, and 409 fatalities and $130 billion in economic losses in 44 states caused by these 20 events
The panel will discuss how the private sector is preparing for extreme weather events and how the federal government can partner with businesses and municipalities to save money and lives by improving preparedness, resiliency, and response.
The panel will also discuss Rep. Cartwright’s PREPARE Act (Preparedness and Risk management for Extreme weather Patterns Assuring Resilience). This soon to be introduced legislation will address the need to protect our nation’s assets and citizens from the enormous risks posed by extreme weather by increasing government effectiveness at no cost to the taxpayer. The Act builds off the recommendations listed in GAO’s high risk report and institutionalizes executive orders which seek to address agency planning and preparedness.
